1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a practicing device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a practice device for enhancing strike ability of a boxer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for practice devices have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,593,998 to Pattyn teaches an indoor tennis practice apparatus including a hollow unpressurized ball hung on an inelastic tether from an overhead support to be stroked toward an energy-absorbing target including a pliable, fabric rectangle having two opposite edges freely suspended from the overhead support along spaced parallel lines to form a draped catenary surface. Both the horizontal spacing between the suspended edges of the fabric rectangle and the horizontal spacing between the target and the ball are adjustable to vary the character of the rebound after the ball is struck. The support can take the form of a single or double target stand or a simple beam structure for home installation.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,643 to Rich teaches a tethered ball toy wherein several balls are suspended from a line, at least one of the balls being partially filled with a liquid or solid, or being mounted off-center or attached by a short cord to the line such that when one ball is struck it produces erratic movement of the other ball or balls. The suspending line may contain a resilient spring or a shock cored portion, whereby the erratic movement of the balls is further enhanced thus requiring a high degree of agility and coordination to kick, or otherwise strike, the ball several times.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,679 to Culpepper teaches a game apparatus particularly adaptable for use in practicing and learning the fundamentals of the game of tennis that includes a ball, e.g., a tennis ball, suspended from a cord. The cord is connected at one end of a rigid rod having springs selectively coupled to the other end, and a stabilizing member is coupled to and spaced from the ends of the rod. The rod and stabilizing member are rotatably coupled to a supporting structure. In use, when the suspended ball is struck with a blow, e.g., with a tennis racket, the ball will swing outward in an arc, against the force of a spring and the gravitational force acting on the stabilizer, and then will rapidly and smoothly return to the stroking position as a result of the combined forces of gravity and a spring.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,878 to Haber teaches a tethered ball game adapted for playing in a doorway by one or two players equipped with table tennis paddles. A ball is attached to one end of an elongated suspension member for hanging from the center of a doorway at a convenient height for striking the ball with the paddles. The suspension member has flexible filament upper and lower sections joined by an intermediate inertia member, preferably in the form of a straight stiff wire link heavier than the combined weight of the ball and the upper and lower flexible sections. The inertia member contributes an erratic motion to the ball thereby enhancing the interest of the game.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,494 to Kelley teaches a batting practice device for baseball batters having a support frame and a generally horizontally disposed laterally extended boom carried by the frame. A flexible cord has a portion thereof mounted to slidably extend along the boom and a portion which depends from the free end of the boom. A ball is connected to the free end of the depending portion of the cord and a motor is connected to the opposite end of the cord for imparting continuous reciprocal movement to the cord longitudinally thereof to vary the length of cord depending from the boom as the ball moves through an arcuate path of travel toward a batter.
A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,168 to Brown teaches a tether ball training device that has an adjustable chaotic motion. The invention includes a supporting frame and a non-elastic line suspended from the frame. A resilient ball is mounted at the bottom end portion of the line and a weight slidably attached to the line is positioned in between the lower ball and the upper frame. In a method of training, a player first hits the tethered ball in a first direction of rotation. The ball will undergo chaotic motion as it rotates in this first direction. The player then tries to hit the ball to rotate it in the opposite direction and provide it with a different chaotic motion. This hitting of the ball is repeated. In a method of training a crane operator, a load is placed in motion and a trainee practices bringing the load under control.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for practice devices have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.
ACCORDINGLY, AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a practice device for enhancing strike ability of a boxer that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a practice device for enhancing strike ability of a boxer that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a practice device for enhancing strike ability of a boxer that is simple to use.
BRIEFLY STATED, STILL YET ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a practice device for enhancing strike ability of a boxer that includes a support, a tethered ball suspended from the support, and a deflector operatively connected to the support. The support includes a rigid sheet of material and four flexible lengths of cord nonrestrainingly suspending the sheet of material horizontally from an overhead. The tethered ball is suspended from the sheet of material. The deflector is disposed on one edge of the sheet of material and is wedge-shaped so as to allow the ball to deflect thereoff in a random pattern when stroked by the boxer. The deflector is a equilaterally-triangular-shaped sheet bent acutely, along its altitude, into a pair of panels. Each panel has a slot slid onto one edge of the sheet of material, with the apex of the sheet facing the center of the sheet of material.